Saudi Aid to Gaza Arrives at Rafah Crossing

One of the Saudi relief planes as part of the relief air bridge to Gaza (Saudi Embassy in Cairo)
One of the Saudi relief planes as part of the relief air bridge to Gaza (Saudi Embassy in Cairo)
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Saudi Aid to Gaza Arrives at Rafah Crossing

One of the Saudi relief planes as part of the relief air bridge to Gaza (Saudi Embassy in Cairo)
One of the Saudi relief planes as part of the relief air bridge to Gaza (Saudi Embassy in Cairo)

Saudi relief aid to the Palestinian people continued to flow to the Rafah land crossing between the Gaza Strip and Sinai in Egypt, carrying hundreds of tons of medical assistance, food, and shelter materials.

The aid is part of the campaign directed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to provide relief to the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Saudi Arabia is also preparing to launch a relief sea bridge in the next few days.

Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Osama Nugali confirmed to the press at the Rafah land crossing that an airlift was implementing the directives of the King and the Crown Prince.

Nugali followed up on the progress of delivering Saudi aid arriving via the air bridge to al-Arish International Airport in Egypt and shipping it to the crossing ahead of transportation into the Strip.

The relief sea bridge will increase the volume of aid flows into Gaza in larger quantities and speed up the mobilization of resources.

The Ambassador explained that the sea bridge would contribute to increasing the volume of humanitarian aid to meet the needs of the people in Gaza, offering thanks to the Egyptian leadership, government, and people for their efforts in facilitating the process.

Total donations collected during the Saudi campaign to aid the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has exceeded $133 million, with over 800,000 donors through the Sahem platform of the King Salman Relief Center (KSRelief).

Also, KSRelief has supported the first phase of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East emergency humanitarian response plan for Gaza with $15 million as part of Riyadh’s keenness to stand with the Palestinian people during the current crisis.

The aid embodied the historic and firm commitment of the Saudi leadership towards the Palestinian people and their cause, reflecting its deep concern for the humanitarian situation and alleviating the suffering of civilians in the enclave.

Political analyst Abdullah al-Assaf believes that the popular campaign is a continuation of the Kingdom’s role of supporting the Palestinians, alleviating the suffering of civilians, and doing everything possible to mitigate the tragic repercussions suffered by the residents of the Strip.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Assaf stated that the Kingdom is considered the most prominent supporter of the Palestinian cause in history at the Arab and international levels, with aid exceeding $5.2 billion during the past few years.

He also noted that Palestine is the third country in development projects implemented by the KSRelief, with 112 projects costing $369 million.

Sheikh Nour al-Din Tawil confirmed that the popular campaign came at a crucial time, noting that the Kingdom seeks, as part of its tireless efforts, to spare the Palestinian people the scourge of conflict and alleviate the burden of suffering caused by the war machine.

Tawil, who is an Imam at the Islamic Cultural Center in Drancy, France, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia has “always devoted most of its capabilities" to supporting the Palestinian cause in various political, economic, and social fields.

He also noted that the Kingdom has always backed the Palestinian people through various crises and tribulations, standing up for their rights in the United Nations and humanitarian organizations.



Saudi Ambassador Meets EU Ambassador to Lebanon

The two sides reviewed various aspects of current political developments - SPA
The two sides reviewed various aspects of current political developments - SPA
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Saudi Ambassador Meets EU Ambassador to Lebanon

The two sides reviewed various aspects of current political developments - SPA
The two sides reviewed various aspects of current political developments - SPA

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Fahd Al-Dosari met on Monday at his residence with European Union Ambassador to Lebanon Sandra De Waele.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed various aspects of current political developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as several issues of mutual interest.


Kuwait Court Orders Imprisonment of Former MPs, Including Musallam Al-Barrak

The defendants were charged with "contesting the rights and authorities of the Emir of the country and spreading malicious news". (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The defendants were charged with "contesting the rights and authorities of the Emir of the country and spreading malicious news". (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Kuwait Court Orders Imprisonment of Former MPs, Including Musallam Al-Barrak

The defendants were charged with "contesting the rights and authorities of the Emir of the country and spreading malicious news". (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The defendants were charged with "contesting the rights and authorities of the Emir of the country and spreading malicious news". (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Kuwaiti Court of Cassation sentenced on Sunday a number of former MPs to prison, overturning the acquittals of 15 defendants, most of whom were former lawmakers in the dissolved National Assembly. The defendants were charged with "contesting the rights and authorities of the Emir of the country and spreading malicious news detrimental to the internal interests and stability of the nation."

The First Circuit of the Court of Cassation reversed the Court of Appeals' ruling that had suspended the sentence of former MP Muhannad Talal Al-Sayer, sentencing him again to three years in prison on charges related to contesting the rights of the Emir, interfering with his authorities, and spreading malicious news harmful to Kuwait's internal interests and stability.

The court also overturned the appellate ruling that suspended the sentence of former MP Saleh Mohammed Al-Mulla, ordering him to serve two years in prison for contesting the authorities and rights of the Emir.

It overturned the acquittal of former MPs Musallam Al-Barrak and Salem Al-Namlan, convicting them as repeat offenders and sentencing them to three years in prison for spreading malicious news detrimental to the country's interests.

It sentenced former MP Bader Al-Dahoum to one year of hard labor on charges of offending judges of the Constitutional Court.

The court also overturned the acquittals issued in favor of 15 defendants, finding them guilty while abstaining from pronouncing punishment on charges of spreading malicious news detrimental to the state's interests.

The rulings included former MPs Adel Al-Damkhi, Mohammed Mosaed Al-Dosari, Osama Al-Zaid, Shuaib Ali Shaban, Mohammed Abbas Jawhar Hayat, Madi Al-Hajri, Falah Al-Hajri, Hamad Al-Mudlej, Ali Radan Al-Otaibi, Mohammed Haif, Saoud Al-Hajri, Khaled Mounis Al-Otaibi, Nasser Mohammed Al-Mutairi, and Nami Harab Mohammed Awad Obeid.


MWL Condemns Israeli Statements on Displacement of Palestinian People

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
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MWL Condemns Israeli Statements on Displacement of Palestinian People

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo

The Muslim World League (MWL) strongly condemned statements by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz concerning the displacement of the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, including proposed plans and mechanisms aimed at forcibly removing Palestinians from their land.

In a statement issued by the MWL General Secretariat, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa denounced the Israeli statements as unacceptable. He stressed that they come amid Israel's violations of international and humanitarian laws and norms in the occupied Palestinian territory and its undermining of peace efforts, the Saudi Press Agency said.

Al-Issa stressed the urgent need for the international community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities to bring an immediate end to all Israeli violations and attempts to impose a new demographic or geographic reality in the occupied Palestinian territory.

He also expressed strong support for the statement issued in this regard by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar, and Egypt.

He reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and steadfast support for their legitimate rights, including the right to establish an independent Palestinian state in accordance with the two-state solution and relevant international resolutions, as the only path to achieving a just and lasting peace in the region.

Ben-Gvir and Katz on Thursday outlined a seven-year plan for removing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip through what Ben-Gvir described as "voluntary emigration."